Bulusan Lake

About 630 kms south of Manila, 350+ MASL and at the heart of Bulusan Volcano National Park (BVNP) lies the Green Lake Bulusan. This is one of Ravenlock's fave place since its just a few kilometers away from his home town, a place where he can relax and escape from the tiring urban life. It’s a nature trip, tropical rainforest surrounds the lake, you can hear bees humming while they collect nectars, you can hear sounds of “duli-duli” (cicada) all over the place and from time to time, different kind of birds can also be seen flying around the lake. A cement path is built around the lake for visitors who want to trek and enjoy the scenes.



Kayaking is also available in the lake.



The lake is currently managed by volunteers from Aggrupation of Advocates for Environmental Protection or locally known as the Agap-Bulusan.

From Sorsogon City, the lake is accessible either through the town of Irosin, passing the towns of Casiguran and Juban. From Irosin, it is another 10 kms to the site. The other is passing through a very scenic route overlooking the Pacific Ocean through the towns of Gubat, Barcelona and the poblacion of Bulusan town.

Update

Toinks! It's been almost 8 months since I last updated this blog.. been lazy. Anyway, today I decided to put some stuffs here.. wait for it.. :)

Driver's License Renewal

Ravenlock went to LTO Sorsogon today to renew his expired driver's license. When he was about to pay the registration fees, he found out that he needed to pay to MMDA for some traffic violation he committed dated Feb 2007. That was crazy and he can't believe it coz as far as he know, he doesn't drive around Manila that time and he don't own a car. It was so unfair.

Anyway, he was oblige to pay to save any further trouble, and will have to wait for 3 days to clear his name and proceed with his license renewal.

Domain and Web Hosting

Ravenlock’s been thinking a lot on registering his own domain, so he’s been browsing the net looking for local, cheap but good and reliable web hosting service for starters. He’s been considering philhosting, but found out some bad feedbacks regarding the company.

A few days ago, Hostingphil added Ravenlock on facebook and it looks promising. So he looks for reviews about the company through “google” and found few (and it doesn’t have negative feedbacks) so he just assumes that it’s offering good service. For now, it’s his top option.

One of these days, surely, Ravenlock would go buy his own domain and build his own website that is within his full control.

Back to Bicol

Ravenlock is back here in Bicol. He just spent his new year at Lucena City, at Sheki’s place then went to Manila to attend Chyi’s (a college org sis) wedding at Mango Farm, Antipolo.

On his way home, he watched “Ang Panday” at Ali Mall, Cubao to kill some time while waiting for the bus going to Bicol. The film was ok and Iza Calzado looks great!

Bought some upgrades for his M4 CQB (a 145 spring and spring guide), needed more power for airsoft wargames (plans to buy more upgrades). Hungers for M4 Stubby Killer.

Happy New Year

Ravenlock is off to Lucena/Manila and will be back next year. Happy
New Year!!! :p

Mayon Volcano

Yesterday, Ravenlock drove himself to Legazpi City, Albay on his bike, hoping to take photos of the hyped Mayon Volcano. He arrived at Ligñon Hill around 3pm, this nature park on top of the hill they say offers the best view of Mayon around Legazpi City. The hill indeed has a grand view of Mayon Volcano on one side and on the other side, Legazpi City with the Albay Gulf. He was so glad he was on his bike or else he’d walk all the way up, large vehicles are not allowed uphill coz parking is full.



The upper half of the volcano is covered with clouds and smokes and what Ravenlock saw was just a few traces of smoking hot lava flow on the mid section of Mayon. Disappointed, he decided to wait until dark hoping to see the “glow in the dark” lava flows live. So he strolls around the hill taking pictures especially of the rappelling people going down. Zipline here offers rappelling for 200 pesos.



Darkness came, there were so many expectators around (local and foreign) but the volcano disappoints them all. Still, there were just a few visible lava traces to be seen, the volcano seems to be taking a break now.

Anyway, here is another shot of Mayon Volcano during sunrise, (got this shot a year ago).

Ravenlock's Christmas Day

Whew! It's Christmas day and Ravenlock's stuck on his shop trying to make some money. He just wishes he was with her. Yesterday, he's been planning to take a 500 km drive with his bike to surprise her but cancelled it for the fear that he would spend his day stranded somewhere; his ride was in no condition at all. Ravenlock feels so lonely today.

Siakol Live in Gubat, Sorsogon

Ravenlock just finished watching Siakol’s concert here in Gubat, Sorsogon. He didn’t expect the crowd would be big. The concert was great except for some “pasaway” audiences. He guess that trouble will always be present in an event where liquor is involved.

Anyway, the Padaba Productions concert was held at Encinas Pavilion with an entrance fee of 75 pesos, and with that, Ravenlock got a free bottle of Colt 45 beer (or you can have a Cobra energy drink). There’s also a raffle to let you have a chance to win t-shirts and cellphones. The concert started at 8pm and ended at around 11:30pm. Siakol's performance was great and the concert was a big success and they will be having another concert tomorrow at Bulan, Sorsogon. Ravenlock really enjoyed the show though what he did the whole time was taking pictures. :p

Bulusan Lake - Fisherman on a Raft

Ravenlock got this shot of a fisherman at Bulusan Lake..

Ravenlock on CABAL PH

Did Ravenlock mentioned that he was once a hardcore CABAL PH player?
Here are some of his screenshots...

Broke

Electric Bill on House.. paid
Electric Bill on Computer Shop.. paid
Water Bills.. paid
3 Smart Bro Internet Connections Bill.. paid
Shop Operator salary and Christmas Bonus.. paid

It's 4 days before Christmas and Ravenlock's broke..
somebody! lend him your money :((

Igado

The wannabe cook tried to cook Igado today (first time)...



Here's how..

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1 bell pepper chopped into strips (Julienne)
1/2 kg pork liver , cut into 2 inch strips
1/4 kg pork, 2 inch strips
1/4 cup "patis" (fish sauce)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 can green peas

Directions

Saute onions, bell peppers and garlic in about 1 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil.
Add tomatoes just before the garlic and onions turn very light brown.
Add in the pork strips, and stir fry until pork is light brown.
Add in the liver and stir until liver is half-cooked.
Add in the vinegar, "patis" and the sugar.
Simmer until the meat is cooked.
Add green peas
Carrots or Potatoes can also be added.

Gubat Bay Surfers

Found this video... feeling proud of my own town..



Go Gubat Bay Surfers! :D

Skim Boarding - Gubat Bay

Skim boarding has definitely conquered the attention of the young ones in Gubat. For one, the skim boards could be manufactured locally using available materials. The surf boards have more intricate and sophisticated design and specifications.

Noli Mercader, 27, reveals that skim boarding was introduced only in March, but it has already influenced the youth’s lifestyle and culture. Several loosely organized groups now regularly “jam” to show off their skills and tricks while riding on the boards on shallow, receding waves along the coast.

“It’s a 10-15 seconds’ thrill riding and balancing the board up to 30 feet. I think it’s sort-of addictive because it gives you some high accomplishing the feat of staying upright while sliding down on the board for as long as you can,” Mercader says.

He says curiosity drew them to try the sport after watching Villaroya perform in January at the Dangkalan Beach on the left portion of the bay. The young expert willingly taught them the basics.

New source of income

Mercader did not only learn the new sport but also found a new source of income from making skim boards. He browses the Internet to learn more about board design, shape and other specifications.

He earns some P300 for a skim board and can make four boards in a week.

“We also earn from skim board rentals at P20 an hour. We also offer skim boarding tutorials wherein the learner is required to rent two boards, one for the instructor and the other one for the latter,” Mercader says.

To Mercader, surfing and skim boarding in the Gubat Bay can certainly make a difference and open opportunities for local tourism.

words by Juan Escandor Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:34:00 06/26/2008

Surfing – Gubat Bay

With three kilometers of white-sand beach almost free of sharp coral grits, Gubat Bay in Sorsogon offers water sports thrills that go beyond the joys of swimming in a blue ocean.

The bay, 620 kilometers south of Manila and 63 km from Legazpi City’s airport in Albay, faces the San Juanico Strait on the southeastern edge of the Bicol Peninsula. It has been attracting fun-loving people since early this year when they introduced skim boarding and water surfing.

“It receives a lot of waves from the Pacific [Ocean] and even though this is the wrong season for waves, still you can ride on them,” Michael Kelleher, a Filipino-Irish swimmer and surfer, enthuses.

Kelleher, 23, who was in Gubat town for a two-week vacation this month, frequents the middle portion of the bay where the waves roll down unhampered to the shores. He lives and works as an engineer in Cork City in southern Ireland and was a champion in a national swimming competition when he was 18. He represented his country in the European swimming competition.

‘Not challenging’

Although he has surfed in Ireland, France, Morocco and Jamaica, Kelleher finds the Gubat Bay a safe place for surfing because the shores are “not challenging” (read: not dangerous because the area is not coral reef), which, he says, is “good for surf school.”

“You can teach people how to surf here and invite tourists to see it for themselves,” he says.



BJ Villaroya, 22, an agribusiness farm operator and one of the pioneers of surfing and skim boarding in the bay, reveals that the good waves come in the stormy months of October through December.

Villaroya cautions that the place is quite dangerous to the uninformed because it is where the sea currents converge, creating strong undercurrents. But, he says, one can learn how to handle the situation by observing the color of the water.

“The undercurrents are located where the water turns brownish with the swirling sand underneath. One must not counter the undercurrent once caught in it. You must go with it until you reach an area where it ends and then swim away from it,” he advises.

words by Juan Escandor Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:34:00 06/26/2008

Rizal Beach

The nicest place in Gubat and famous to its surrounding towns throughout the Bicol peninsula, is one of the best picnic spots for locals and visitors alike. This underdeveloped haven with 3 kilometers of fine ivory sand is perfect for a swimming beach. Although the sand is not as white as from Boracay’s, it’s good enough to let it touch wet swimsuits and skins.

There are resorts available in the area where travelers can spend their days and nights, relaxing and exploring at the same time. The most known resorts are Rizal Beach Resort and Vera Maris. Cottages can also be rented if overnight is not on the plan during stay.

The presence of strong winds along the beach made its waves good for surfing and skim boarding which are becoming popular among the locals nowadays.



Best time to visit is during summer days of course, March till June.

Paksiw kara Aya..

Ravenlock's breakfast for today is..



You can find it at Tiya Aya's Carinderia, just along Manook St., Gubat, Sorsogon, before entering the wet market. Just be early, it's only available from 7AM to 9AM.

Best for hangovers.

afternoon swimming...

..thought of biking for an afternoon exercise but found himself testing his swimming skills in the cold waters of Rizal Beach.. alone.. dumbass, what if he ended up drinking the seas? who knows..

Ravenlock's Christmas Wishlist

The good for nothing bummer has many wants for Christmas...

• spend the 25th day of December with her special someone who calls him bummer (9 years of commitment and they haven't spent a single Christmas day together)
•  a domain name and a web host (for his new vice)
•  a phone worthy to replace his obsolete w710i
•  a zoom lens for his SLR
• brand new rubber shoes (his 2 years old running shoes is giving up on him)
• new mags and tires for his ride
• a JG M4 Stubby Killer
• a surfboard (8" long or more) so he could try another good for nothing habit
•  a car, Mitsubishi Estrada is ok, you can put a lot of stuff on the back (surfboard, a cooler full of beers, a bike, people, etc...)
•  World Peace